This is interesting and valuable analysis, Marion. Many counties, cities, and towns across the nation are using political-managerial systems designed before WW II. Many significant decisions affecting US citizens fall to municipalities; and it is a poor time to lose interest in municipal-level politics. People across the nation interested in good government should be monitoring this process occurring now in Sacramento. Running the public business on assumptions, indifference and individual surrender of the 1st and 10th Amendments to "them", "others", "the way things have always been"--and a small group of more powerful and well-financed "leaders" few of us know much about--is a bad, very bad, idea. Grant Millin Asheville, NC